Author: Jennifer Lane

Once I saw this adorable Giveaway Hop button, I knew I had to join! Thanks to Kathy from I Am a Reader Not a Writer and Yara from Once Upon a Twilight for hosting the hop.

Since I am a reader AND a writer, I’m offering a signed print copy of one of my novels in The Conduct Series: With Good Behavior or Bad Behavior. It’s the winner’s choice.

I’ll announce the winner Tuesday 4/26/11.

The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL!

Here are links to generate points on your entry form:

Twitter: JenLaneBooks
Goodreads: Add Friend Jennifer Lane
Goodreads: Add With Good Behavior to your TBR list
Goodreads: Add Bad Behavior to your TBR list
Facebook: Add Friend Jennifer Lane

This is the first time I’m using a google docs form. I’m so grateful to Parajunkee for her tutorial!

Thank you to EVERYONE for entering the giveaway. It is now over. Winner will be announced on Tuesday!

Greetings, followers! I have two questions for you today:

1) Do you prefer young adult or adult fiction?

2) What exactly is young adult fiction?

When Omnific Publishing released my first novel — decidedly adult fare — I suddenly heard all about Young Adult fiction. I think I might have even asked fellow author Susan Kaye Quinn “What is YA?” Ha ha. Sure, I’d read the Twilight saga, but back then I hadn’t realized there was a specific category for this age group.

I now understand YA is typically for protagonists ages 14ish to 20ish. But what I’m still trying to grasp is how YA differs from Adult fiction. My confusion only increased when reading the very adult themes in The Hunger Games.

According to Wikipedia, plot, setting, and character are more marketable to young adults than elements like theme and style. At the same time, common themes of YA novels include the problems of youth, like identity, coming of age, drugs, family conflict, sexuality, and depression.

What sets apart YA for you?

I tend to prefer adult fiction because I like to examine events and struggles affecting people like me, at least those rare times when I’m acting like an adult.

However, I have written a couple of YA stories, and I’m particularly interested in the 18-23 demographic. As a psychologist I love working with college students because there is so much growth occurring at that stage of life. It’s exciting to be part of it. I also loved S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, long before I knew it was a YA book!

I’m curious about the huge popularity of YA novels. If you enjoy writing and/or reading YA, what draws you to it?

Aw man, is it Monday already? Must be time for our Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop, hosted by Lisa Sanchez!

Check back on Wednesday when I’ll be participating in the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop! A print copy of With Good Behavior or Bad Behavior will be up for grabs.

The lovely Yara from Once Upon a Twilight asked me to post about my favorite reading spots on her blog. Go check it out!

It’s Friday! Have you heard this super annoying song? Dance with me.

I recently began reading the magnificent self-help book Women Food and God by Geneen Roth, which “…shows how going beyond the food and the feelings takes you deeper into realms of spirit and soul–to the bright center of your life”. The book is about how we use food to escape facing the pain in our lives. We eat mindlessly to push away awareness of the present.

I won’t be discussing my relationship with food here because I’d need about ten posts or ten years to explore that quagmire. Even my cat has food issues.

What I would like to talk about is my relationship with writing. I find myself focusing too much on reviews and sales. I want to go beyond the critiques — beyond the longing for acceptance — beyond the doubts and insecurities — to reach the “bright center” of writing.

Geneen Roth mentions the malaise we feel in the moment, longing for a change . . . the “When I Get Thin (Change Jobs, Move, Find a Relationship, Leave This Relationship, Have Money) Blues”. I’d like to add to the list the “When I Become a Bestseller Blues” and “When I Receive Critical Appraise Blues”.

On page 58 Ms. Roth writes “It’s called the ‘If Only’ refrain. It’s called postponing your life and your ability to be happy to a future date when then, oh then, you will finally get what you want and life will be good.”

I really identify with the “if only” refrain. How many times do authors think “If only I’d arrive, then I’d be happy”?

I confess getting stuck in that mindless trap. I’m a review whore. I eagerly anticipate reviews of my novels, excitedly opening goodreads.com to see if new readers have found my book and liked it.

What I really want to focus on is the sheer enjoyment of writing — of translating murky visions in my mind to the paper with creativity and clarity. I want to focus on the process, on the now. I want to make myself laugh and cry as I write, and participate in the moment. I want to connect with the reader.

Breathe. Grin devilishly when I torture my characters. See the world from my protagonist’s perspective.

Why do we get sucked into “if only” land? For me, one reason might be my newness and insecurity as a writer. In contrast, I believe I’ve found a more mindful place in my psychology career, sitting with each psychotherapy client and thriving on our connection. I feel confident I can help clients with almost any conundrum they bring to the session. It helps that I’ve been practicing therapy for sixteen years.

I look forward to the time when I’m more experienced and confident as a writer, engaging in the experience without putting off my present enjoyment for that elusive moment in the future when I’ll “arrive”. In the meantime I’ll focus writing my next chapter in On Best Behavior, hanging out with Grant and Sophie, creating their world with love and hope.

One word at a time.

Lisa Sanchez and fellow authors invite you to join our Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop.

As I’m sipping my morning coffee (laced with flavored creamer of course), I invite you to mosey on over to Coffee Time Romance blog today (4-6-11) with two posts. If you leave a comment on any of my posts, you can enter to win an ebook of With Good Behavior or Bad Behavior!

This week I’ll be talking about themes in my novels With Good Behavior and Bad Behavior. Today I discuss healing and Wednesday I’ll be at Coffee Time Romance covering redemption.

To me, it’s quite interesting to write characters that start off damaged and broken. I enjoy torturing them further throughout the novel (*shrugs* I’m sick that way), but the end goal is always the same: healing.

Grant Madsen is a survivor of child abuse, and has the low self-worth to prove it. His conviction for aggravated robbery and subsequent prison sentence only serve to reduce his abysmally low self-esteem. Released on parole, he’s now supposed to find the confidence to rebuild his life. Good luck with that!

Sophie Taylor had a more stable childhood but is now dealing with broken family bonds due to her mother’s death and her father’s estrangement. She’s fiercely independent after putting herself through ten years of school to become a psychologist, yet she yearns for connection, especially with men. She continues to date bad boys in an effort to get back at her father. Her most recent dalliance with a bad boy landed her in prison, and now she too must battle to get back on her feet.

How do we heal from the past? There are books and books of psychological theories addressing this question, and my favorite is the interpersonal approach developed by Harry Stack Sullivan. We learn how to relate to ourselves and others through repetitive family interactions, and we heal from dysfunctional patterns by learning new ways of relating as adults. In other words, relational healing is the key.

It may sound corny, but I’m a big believer in the power of love to heal. It’s not Sophie’s background as a psychologist that helps Grant slowly develop more confidence in himself. It’s her implicit acceptance of him, her ability to filter through the damage to see the good in him, her openness to receive his love despite being burned so recently. And Grant’s love helps Sophie heal too. Ironically she has to fall in love with an ex-con on parole in order to find the good man she truly seeks.

Two wonderful novels were my inspiration for characters healing each other through their love: The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy and The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. Both stories feature broken characters striving for wholeness, assisted by their faith in each other. The journey is rocky but beautiful.

Another inspiration is the lovely song “Heal Over” by KT Tunstall.

Please stop by Coffee Time Romance on Wednesday to read my thoughts on redemption. Those who leave a comment can enter a giveaway for an ebook from The Conduct Series!

It’s a rainy Monday, ugh. Time to brighten things with the Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop, today hosted by Nicki Elson!

Happy Friday!
In 2011 I’m participating in a Men in Uniform Challenge hosted by The Book Vixen’s Blog and a Romantic Suspense Reading Challenge hosted by Nitty Gritty Blog. It’s surprising how few romantic suspense novels I’ve read given that I write in that genre, and I always swoon over men in uniform. Thank you to my goodreads pals for introducing me to some great books to try, like Hawken’s Heart by Suzanne Brockmann.

Here’s my 5 star review:

Thanks to Buggy for recommending this book! This was my first foray into Suzanne Brockmann’s Tall Dark & Dangerous series, and it certainly won’t be my last. (The cool thing is that “Harvard’s Education”, which I think is #5 in the series, also came in the ebook package I bought for my Nook). When Buggy mentioned that a hot uniformed man was imprisoned for murdering his commander, I knew this book was right up my alley!

Some things I really enjoyed:

* Nell’s character. She had a softness about her but she was also very strong. I also laughed when she made fun of “Crash’s” name. What the heck kind of name is that? Very appropriate for a SEAL, I guess. I thought she should’ve called him Will.

* Crash/Billy. He epitomized the brooding, stoic hero, and I loved when his walls finally came “crashing” down (with Nell’s help).

* The line “If you’d die for me, why won’t you LIVE for me?” Go Nell!

* The little surprise at the end.

* The tightness of the story. The book was on the short side, mostly because there wasn’t unnecessary fluff, and I liked how I could finish it in one weekend.

I wish more of the story took place in prison but I think it was important to know the development of their romance in order to connect deeply with the characters. A great read!

Welcome, Author Robin DeJarnett!

I had the pleasure of reading Robin’s novel Whirlwind, and gave it 5 stars! Here’s my review:

Whirlwind is a debut Romantic Suspense novel by Robin DeJarnett, featuring Melissa and Jason, two twenty-somethings who meet at a wedding. Sparks fly when they first touch, but romance isn’t the only focal point of the story, as later in the evening a woman is murdered.

Turns out the murderer might now be after Melissa. The book summary includes a great line: “Cinderella lost a shoe—Melissa could lose both her handsome prince and her life”. Ha! This subtle humor pervaded the story and was one reasons of many I adored Whirlwind.

I’m a practical woman, so the idea of love-at-first-sight made me a bit skeptical when I started this novel. By the end, Robin DeJarnett completely convinced me of the realism and beauty of a whirlwind romance! What made me a believer? 1) Melissa and Jason created emotional intimacy before their explosive physical chemistry had a chance to bloom, 2) Their character development was gradual and complex, and 3) The characters maintained their own independence and personalities without becoming enmeshed or losing themselves in each other. But the most compelling reason was Robin’s writing style. It was smooth, sexy, and suspenseful.

I found myself really liking both Melissa and Jason, and the supporting cast was also richly drawn. This is a novel about many kinds of relationships, including romance, friendship, and the deep bonds with our parents. Melissa’s insight about her relationship with her deceased father was poignant and meaningful.

My only complaint: Why oh why did Jason have to attend the University of MICHIGAN? As a resident of Columbus, Ohio, I was very dismayed by that choice but I did have to laugh when his brother named his horse Buckeye just for spite. Go Mitch!

I DEFINITELY recommend Whirlwind, and I eagerly anticipate Robin’s next novel. Bravo! And here’s my interview of Robin.

Robin DeJarnett (RD): Thank you so much for inviting me, Jen. Hmmm, it’s hard to say what my favorite aspect is, but I can tell you that I’ve been blown away by the support of my friends – both online and in person – for the book.  It makes me giggle when my friends ask if they can get a picture with me (they see me all the time!). One friend even made a party game involving the book!  Their interest and support has just been overwhelming.

RD: At first glance, you wouldn’t think there’d be much similarity between working in a power plant and writing a romance novel, but looking back now, I see that in all the jobs I’ve held, I’ve always looked forward to the little creative projects that came along. Writing isn’t something that most people associate with applied sciences like engineering or computer science, but the truth is you don’t work in a box by yourself, you have to communicate with others clearly and succinctly. I also got involved in training and teaching others when I got the chance, and was able to stretch my creative legs. One really fun project involved writing the script for a silly little training video about when to call tech support – it involved a rat (made out of rubber) chewing through computer cables. (Sorry, that was pre-YouTube…I’m not sure my VHS still works!)

The sports focus in Whirlwind is rodeo, and most of the inspiration for that came from my cousin, Wendi. She participates as an amateur in a sport called penning, which involves a team of three and a herd of cattle. Every cow has a number painted on their back, and when the whistle blows, three numbers are shouted out. Wendi and her teammates have to cut those three cows out of the herd and put them in a pen – in a matter of seconds.  I find it fascinating watching them work. Most of the time Wendi is just along for the ride – once her horse, Jalapena, knows which cow they want, she corners it without any direction from her rider. It’s pretty amazing!

Whirlwind actually came about because a friend challenged me to write a SHORT, spicy sex scene.  Intimate scenes are very hard for me to write…I needed to know why the couple was together, how they met, and what attracted them before I could put them in bed. Since the original story was supposed to be a short story, I hit upon the idea of love at first sight. Little did I know that instant attraction didn’t mean instant story! As you know, it took me six chapters to work up to the big scene, and by then, I knew the rest of the story. Completed, Whirlwind was novel length, and here we are!

RD:  Hahaha! Now I really have to thank you – I can imagine how hard it was for you to read about my true BLUE hero and interview a Wolverine fan! 😀

My husband was born in Michigan bleeds blue (of course!), so it was natural for  Jason to have a tie to U of M (Jason is not my husband, btw). My husband didn’t attend the U of M, but my good friend, Killian McRae, did. 🙂 I do love the Wolverines, and have visited the campus and Big House a couple times.

JL: I’m looking forward to reading more novels written by you! What are you working on now?

I don’t have a blurb for Quicksand yet, but the story will revolve around Melissa trying to fit into Jason’s life and facing his past…including that almost-fiancee mentioned in Whirlwind. When Melissa suspects Jason’s best friend may be involved in something nefarious, Jason has to decide if he’s going to trust her instincts or his experience. Let’s just say our happy couple has a few issues to work out…

I’m also working on the outline for book 3 in Jason and Melissa’s story.  Mitch (Jason’s steer-wrestling brother) has a starring role in that installment.

Thank you, Robin!

You know what time it is! Time for Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop, hosted by Lisa Sanchez. You’ve just met Robin, now meet other authors on the hop.
 

Congratulations to Junaid and Niamh, winners of the Goodreads giveaway!

Just like Charlie Sheen, you’re both WINNERS.

It’s great to have one international winner and one American winner–a nice balance. Signed copies of Bad Behavior are headed your way.

Feeling naughty? Make sure to enter the Goodreads giveaway for The Conduct Series #2: Bad Behavior. There’s less than a week left to enter, and this time the cuffs come off!

I’m very excited to reveal the video trailer for Bad Behavior! Thanks to Micha Stone from Omnific Publishing and my Aunt Nancy for their help in creating this baby.

Syrah and Chardonnay exhibited some really good behavior by hosting me for an interview on their blog Chick Lit & Wine. I had a lot of fun with those two!

It’s Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop, hosted by Lisa Sanchez. The hop’s a great way for authors to network and for readers to identify new authors.